Will a LASIK Procedure Correct Astigmatism?

LASIK Can Help Improve Your Vision

If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the many people in this world who has astigmatism—meaning that one or both eyes have an asymmetrical shape that causes the light rays traveling through the cornea to scatter and become blurry. Put simply, astigmatism is a refractive error in the eye, like near- or farsightedness.

The good news is that a LASIK procedure can eliminate the vision problems caused by astigmatism. During a LASIK procedure, astigmatism is corrected by the laser to make your cornea more symmetrical. When you correct astigmatism through laser eye surgery, your vision improves.

Does LASIK Work for Astigmatism?

The lasers used for LASIK procedures are incredibly precise, and they can be programmed to reshape the cornea to account for an asymmetrical eye surface. Most of the time, a single LASIK procedure can fully correct astigmatism. However, if your astigmatism is severe, you may need a follow-up LASIK enhancement to fine-tune your vision correction.

Are There Kinds of Astigmatism LASIK Can’t Fix?

LASIK eye surgery procedures treat the cornea and so can only address corneal astigmatism, which is an extremely common condition. Most people who do have astigmatism have corneal astigmatism, and so they would benefit from a LASIK procedure.

There are two general types of astigmatism: regular and irregular. The regular subtype is the most common of the two and occurs when the curvature of a person’s cornea is uneven; instead of being shaped like a perfect sphere, it’s shaped more like a football. When the lens of the eye is asymmetrical, the light that passes through the eye splits off and creates two different focal points. When light doesn’t focus in the right place, people with regular corneal astigmatism experience blurred vision.

Irregular astigmatism usually results from trauma to the eye or from certain rare corneal conditions. As the name may suggest, this kind of astigmatism is rare, and it’s highly unlikely that your doctor or ophthalmologist would recommend you for a LASIK procedure if you presented with this type of astigmatism, as LASIK isn’t usually an option. But, just to be safe, it’s always worth asking your ophthalmologist or eye doctor just to be sure a LASIK procedure is an option for you.

The Benefits of LASIK for Astigmatism

For many people with astigmatism, a LASIK procedure is a great vision correction option compared to contact lenses or glasses. While lenses and glasses compensate for astigmatism’s abnormal curvature, they’re not always the most comfortable options. Eyeglass lenses are curved in the opposite way from the cornea and can be disorienting to the eye since the lenses aren’t uniform in shape. Alternatively, astigmatism contacts may rotate out of alignment, which causes pain and blurring for the wearer.

Contact Northwest Eye Center

If you and the team at Panorama LASIK decide a LASIK procedure is a right option to alleviate your astigmatism, rest assured: The surgery only takes a few minutes, and you’ll start seeing results in the first few hours post-surgery. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy more comfortable vision without the uncomfortable hassle of glasses or contact lenses! Contact us today to schedule your free LASIK consultation.